Can you speak Italian? By now, many of you have passed the beginning stages of learning to speak Italian and can read and comprehend quite a bit of the Italian language. Meraviglioso!

But have you tried to take the next step to speak Italian fluently? Can you use the Italian subjunctive mood in the correct situations? To express complex feelings in Italian correctly, it is important to use the Italian subjunctive mood. Using the subjunctive mood is difficult for English speakers, as we only rarely use this tense in English, and this is something that I am always working on! The blogs in the “Speak Italian” blog series willfocus on how to conjugate and use the Italian subjunctive mood, or “il congiuntivo.”

Let’s take that giant step from simple beginning sentences to more complex and fluid sentences in Italian by using the subjunctive mood. In this segment, we will discuss the phrases that take the subjunctive mood and the how to conjugate the subjunctive mood for avere, essere and stare in the present tense. Finally, we will learn about the verb chiedersi, which means “to wonder.” Example sentences will follow!

Italian has a subjunctive mood that is used to express beliefs, thoughts, or hopes with the verbs credere, pensare, and sperare.

The subjunctive mood is also said to “open up” a conversation to discussion about a particular topic by expressing doubt, uncertainty, desire, or a feeling.

The subjunctive mood is also used to express an expectation regarding the subject of the main clause.

Certain phrases are commonly used to start a sentence in order to introduce the subjunctive mood, and these initial phrases will be in the indicative tense (the “usual” present or past tense). The subjunctive mood is also used with the conditional tense, but this will be the topic of later blogs. These initial phrases imply uncertainty and trigger the subjunctive mood in the phrase to follow.

These groups are listed below:

Groups 1-6: “Noun Clauses”

Phrases that use the verbs credere (to believe),pensare (to think), and sperare (to hope). These verbs use the pattern: [verb+ di + infinitive verb] to describe the beliefs, thoughts, or hopes that one has. When the subject in the introductory phrase is not the same as the subject in the subjunctive clause that follows, the pattern changes to: [verb + che + subjunctive verb].*

In Italian, the introductory phrases listed above are usually followed by a “linking word,” which in turn introduces the phrase that follows. This “linking word” is also known as a conjunction, and is the word che. In this situation, che means that. The clause that follows our introductory phrase will then describe what the uncertainty is about.

Note that the simple present or past tenses can also be used after the introductory phrases listed below, rather than the subjunctive mood, if you are speaking about a fact or something you believe to be true. This use will make perfect sense to the Italian listener, even when the subjective mood is otherwise commonly used.

To follow is a (long) list of phrases that can be used to introduce the subjunctive mood, with example from the present tense in the first two columns and the past tense in the last two columns. Notice that the imperfetto form of the past tense is given in our table for brevity, but the passato prossimo form of the past tense can also be used, depending on the situation. Use of the past tense forms will be the topic of later blogs.

Phrases That Take the Subjunctive Mood

Present Tense
Subjunctive Phrase
Groups 1 and 2

Past Tense
Subjunctive Phrase
Groups 1 and 2

Credo che

I believe that

Credevo che

I believed that

Penso che

I think that

Pensavo che

I thought that

Spero che

I hope that

Speravo che

I hoped that

È possibile che

It is possible that

Era possibile che

It was possible that

È probablile che

It is probable that

Era probabile che

It was probable that

È bene che

It is fine/good that

Era bene che

It was fine/good that

Sarebbe bene che

It would be good that

Sarebbe stato bene che

It would have been good that

È giusto che

It is right that

Era giusto che

It was right that

È meglio che

It is better that

Era meglio che

It was better that

È incredible che

It is incredible that

Era incredibile che

It was incredible that

È un peccato che

It is a shame that

Era un peccato che

It was a shame that

È una vergogna che

It is a disgrace that

Era una vergogna che

It was a disgrace that

È normale che

It is normal that

Era normale che

It was normal that

Present Tense
Subjunctive Phrase
Groups 3, 4, 5 and 6

Past Tense
Subjunctive Phrase
Groups 3, 4, 5 and 6

Non so che

I don’t know that

Non sapevo che

I didn’t know that

Non so dove

I don’t know where

Non sapevo dove

I didn’t know where

Non sono sicuro che

I am not sure that

Non ero sicuro che

I wasn’t sure that

Non ho idea che

I have no idea that

Non avevo idea che

I had no idea that

Non mi aspetto che

I couldn’t wait that

Non mi aspettavo che

I couldn’t wait that

Non c’è nulla che

There is nothing that

Non c’era nulla che

There was nothing that

Mi pare che

It seems to me

Mi pareva che

It seemed to me

Mi sembra che

It seems to me

Mi sembrava che

It seemed to me

Può darsi che

Perhaps

Ho l’impressione che

I have the impression that

Avevo l’impresione che

I had the impression that

Suppongo che

I suppose that

Supponevo che

I supposed that

Immagino che

I imagine that

Immaginavo che

I imagined that

Sospetto che

I suspect that

Sospettavo che

I suspected that

Dubito che

I doubt that

Dubitavo che

I doubted that

Sono convinto che

I am convinced that

Ero convinto che

I was convinced that

A meno che

Unless

Conviene che

It is best that

Conveniva che

It was best that

Basta che

It is enough that

Bastava che

It was enough that

Malgrado che

In spite of that

Si dice che

It is said that

Si diceva che

It was said that

Dicono che

They say that

Dicevano che

They said that

Bisogna che

It’s necessary that

Bisognavo che

It was necessary that

*When the speaker in the introductory phrase will carry out the action in the phrase to follow, Italian will use the following construction to link the phrases for credere, pensare, and sperare : di + infinitive verb. Example: Penso di andare a Roma domani. = I think I will go to Rome tomorrow. (Use pensare a when thinking ABOUT something or someone.)

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Finally, a word of caution:

DO NOT USE THE SUBJUNCTIVE WITH THE FOLLOWING THREE PHRASES!

Forse =Perhaps

Per me = For me

Secondo me = According to me

The above may seem like exceptions to the rule, but perhaps… because these phrases already express doubt or your personal opinion… in the Italian way of thinking, it would be redundant to use these phrases along with the subjunctive!

How to Conjugate Italian Verbs “Essere,” “Avere,” and “Stare” in the Present Tense Subjunctive Mood

Here are the present tense subjunctive forms for the Italian auxiliary verbs avere, stare, and essere, which are often used in the subjunctive mood in written and spoken Italian. Che is included in parentheses in the subject pronoun column as a reminder that these verb forms are typically introduced with the conjunction che. Also, make sure to include the subject pronoun in your sentence after che for clarity, since the singular forms are identical.

Practice the subjunctive verbs out loud by saying che , the subject pronoun and then the correct verb form that follows!

To follow are some examples of when the Italian subjunctive mood in the present tense might be used in conversation during daily life. Notice that the English translation is the same for the present tense examples and the Italian subjunctive examples used in the sentences below.

We will start with sentences using stare (to stay/to be) in the subjunctive mood because this verb comes up very commonly in this modern life, when not a day seems to go by without an email being sent and received! The old formalities of opening and closing a letter have returned! After the greeting in an email, especially if there has not been recent communication, it is customary to mention a hope that all is well with friends and family. Here is a case for the subjunctive!

Present Tense
Phrase

Present Tense
Subjunctive Phrase

Tu stai bene.

You (familiar) are well.

Spero che tu stia bene.

I hope that you (familiar)are well.

Lei sta bene.

You (polite) are well.

She is well.

Spero che lei stia bene.

I hope that you (polite) are well.

I hope that she is well.

Lui sta bene.

He is well.

Spero che lui stia bene.

I hope that he is well.

La famiglia sta bene.

The family is well.

Spero che la tua famiglia*stia bene.

I hope that the family* is well.

Tutti stanno bene.

Everyone/body
is well.

Spero che tutti stiano bene.

I hope that everyone/everybody is well.

*Famiglia = family and is a collective noun and takes the third person singular.

Example Phrases Using “Avere” in the Present Tense Subjunctive Mood

We often close an email with a hope as well—for a nice weekend, for instance, or that we will see the person we have contacted sometime soon. In this case, the phrases we most commonly use will need to use avere (to have) in the subjunctive mood.

Present Tense
Phrase

Present Tense
Subjunctive Phrase

Buona settimana!

Have a good week!

Spero che tuabbia una buona settimana.

I hope that you have a good week!

Buon fine settimana!

Have a good weekend!

Spero che tu abbia un buon fine settimana.

I hope that you have a good weekend!

Buona giornata.

Buona serata.

Have a good day.

Have a good evening.

Spero che tu abbia una buona giornata/buona serata.

I hope that you have a good day/evening.

Example Phrases Using “Essere” in the Present Tense Subjunctive Mood

The verb essere (to be) is commonly used when describing someone’s characteristics to someone else. But what if we are not sure that someone possesses a certain characteristic, or we would like someone to possess a characteristic we fear they may not have? Then we must use the subjunctive mood in our sentence! Here are a few examples. How many more can you think of?

Present Tense
Phrase

Present Tense
Subjunctive Phrase

Lei è bella.

She is beautiful.

Mi sembra che lei sia bella.

She seems beautiful to me.

(It seems to me that she is beautiful.)

L’insegnante è simpatico.

The teacher is nice.

Spero che l’insegnante sia simpatico.

I hope that the teacher is nice.

Dio è in cielo.

God is in heaven.

Credo che Dio sia in cielo.

I believe that God is in heaven.

L’attrice è brava in quel film.

The actress is great in that film.

Penso che l’attrice sia brava in quel film.

I think that the actress is great in that film.

Lui è fortunato.

He is fortunate.

Spero che lui sia fortunato.

I hope that he is fortunate.

Lei è contenta.

She is happy.

Mi pare che lei sia contenta.

She seems happy to me.

(It seems to me that she is happy.)

Loro sono bravi cantanti.

They are wonderful singers.

Può darsi che loro siano bravi cantanti.

Perhaps they are wonderful singers.

Lui è un bravo studente.

He is a good student.

Dubito che lui sia un bravo studente.

I doubt that he is a good student.

Lei è sposata.

She is marrried.

È probabile che lei sia sposata.

She is probably married.

(It is probable that she is married.)

Loro sono ricchi.

They are rich.

È possibile che loro siano ricchi.

It is possible that they are rich.

How to Use the Verb “To Wonder” “Chiedersi”

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The verb chiedersi, from Rule 4, is worthy of special mention. Chiedersi is the verb Italians use to describe the idea of “wondering” if something might happen.

“Mi chiedo…” literally means, “I ask myself,” which translates into “I wonder.” This verb is often followed by the Italian word for “if” to make the sentence, “Mi chiedo se…” or, “I wonder if…” Given that this phrase ends in the word “if,” at first glance it may seem to fall into the category of improbable hypothetical phrases, which need a special conjugation (to be discussed in blogs to follow). But, cheidersi in its present tense form actually takes the present subjunctive mood, just as the other phrases in Rule 4 that we have learned about.

So, you already know how to use this verb and can easily wonder about things that might be!

Below is an example of how to use the verb chiedersi. We will revisit chiedersi again as we continue to learn about the subjunctive mood in blogs to come!

Mi chiedo se lui sia un attore bravo in quel film.
I wonder if he is a great actor in that film.

Conversational Italian for Travelers Just the Important Phrases (with Restaurant Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions) is YOUR traveling companion in Italy! All the Italian phrases you need to know to enjoy your trip to Italy are right here and fit right into your pocket or purse.

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, is the author of theConversational Italian for Travelersseries of books and a teacher of Italian for travelers to Italy in the Peoria and Chicago area.“Everything you need to know to enjoy your visit to Italy!”

Visitlearntravelitalian.com/download.html to purchase/download Conversational Italian for Travelers and find more interesting facts and helpful hints about getting around Italy!Learn how to buy train tickets online, how to make international and local telephone calls, and how to decipher Italian coffee names and restaurant menus, all while gaining the basic understanding of Italian that you will need to know to communicate easily and effectively while in Italy. —From the staff at Stella Lucente, LLC